"Co visit the UK when you have the ti, Hajoon."
"If you're free later, give a call. Soona would probably want to see you, too."
"If you're ever bored, co visit the US!"
"See you later, Hajoon!"
Two days later, after the academy's vacation ceremony concluded, Rokia Academy's break officially began.
One by one, the students said their goodbyes to Hajoon and headed back to their respective hos.
"Ahh, I want to go ho."
However, Hajoon had no choice but to return to the dormitory.
Naturally, all of their original houses had burned down because of the villains.
Lying on his bed, Hajoon glanced at the tiny doll seated on his desk.
It subtly avoided Ha-joon’s gaze, as if it had been pricked by sothing.
The doll spoke, "There was nothing I could do at that ti. It was an order from above."
"Sigh - I can't even destroy this thing."
Rembering that ti made Hajoon want to smash all the dolls, but he chose to be lenient.
After all, breaking them wouldn't cause any harm to this little creature.
"Speaking of which, what about that guy?"
Obviously, Hajoon was referring to the villain who killed Hero Jang Hwan.
The villain who took down the second top-ranked hero in the nation.
Having a hunch about who the perpetrator might be, Hajoon asked of the doll.
Though the doll had aligned with Hajoon, the Villain Alliance wasn’t widely aware of this fact. Yet, the doll rely hung its head in silence.
The doll responded, "I tried, but I couldn't find him. Even for a mber of the Villain Alliance, his location isn't easy to determine."
"..."
Was what it said true?
Hajoon squinted, scrutinizing the doll.
He couldn't fully trust the doll's words at face value.
Although the doll appeared submissive, their current relationship was based on a balance of power.
In other words, if the doll felt even one mber of the Villain Alliance could defeat Hajoon, it could betray him at any mont.
Moreover, as far as Hajoon knew, the doll beca a villain because of its intense hatred for heroes.
Simply trusting it was still a stretch given the lack of established trust.
Seeing Hajoon's expression, the doll added, seemingly aggrieved, "To be honest, I've only seen him once. He's so cautious that he hasn't shown himself for decades. This was the first ti he personally engaged in such terrorism."
"…Hmm."
If it's going to that extent...
Though he didn't want to admit it, Hajoon was sowhat inclined to believe the doll.
Just as the doll said, the villain was so cautious that he had been avoiding Sage Choi Jungwon for decades.
If he had once again concealed himself, Hajoon wouldn’t have any way to track him down.
"And you'd do well not to underestimate him. From what I've seen, his power rivals that of great heroes."
Of course, Hajoon was aware of this and had so understanding.
As The Puppeteer said, the artifacts and skills he wields are truly dangerous.
".........."
However, hearing it from The Puppeteer's mouth felt sowhat ironic.
Was this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?
Regardless of strength, it was twisted for soone like The Puppeteer, who once targeted my life, to be warning about soone else.
"But are you planning to stay here?"
".........."
The Puppeteer seed montarily uncomfortable, scratching his cheek. Then, he quickly stood up and walked towards the dormitory window.
With his short hands, he opened the window.
Before leaving, The Puppeteer respectfully bowed and said, "I'll co again later."
"Sure."
Hajoon casually waved him off, scratching his back.
And just like that, the uninvited guest left Hajoon's dormitory.
Despite all the incidents that had occurred, it was still vacation.
The very vacation Hajoon had been yearning for.
He had many things he wanted to do, but the primary plan was to relax for a week.
He would think about the rest later.
Hajoon stared at the ceiling, turning over, and began fiddling with his smartphone.
That's when it happened.
Ring-ring-
A call ca in for Hajoon.
Upon seeing the na of the caller, Hajoon couldn't help but furrow his brow in annoyance.
[Caller: Emma]
It was Emma, a scout from the Arican Hero Association.
That afternoon at 1 o'clock.
"It's been a while, Student Hajoon."
Inside a cafe situated within the Academy, Hajoon was seated, facing a woman.
He hadn't seen her in a long ti, but she wasn't exactly the face he wished to see now.
Considering she's a scout from the Arican Hero Association, she wouldn't co without a reason.
"It seems quieter in the Academy. Perhaps because it's vacation?"
"Yes. But you decided to visit right as the vacation started?"
With narrowed eyes, Hajoon gazed at her. He was hoping for a break, but her unexpected visit at the start of his vacation changed that.
Emma, looking slightly bitter, responded with a smile, "I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. Just that the timing of the incident coincided with your break."
"Coincided, you say?"
"Yes."
"So, what's the matter?"
"Currently, there's an ergency at the Arican Hero Association. You're aware of Dungeon Breaks, right?"
Of course, he knew. A Dungeon Break referred to an old dungeon that collapses or explodes over ti. Given the potential disasters that could arise from such an event, it was indeed a dangerous situation.
However, Hajoon found it curious that such a phenonon would trigger an ergency at the Arican Hero Association since they could usually be prevented.
"Is a Dungeon Break that much of an ergency?"
With a curious look, Hajoon questioned Emma, who replied with a serious expression.
"Yes, because the predicted Dungeon Breaks are occurring in a place called 'the Abyss.' And there are two of them. For one of them, the world's top-ranked hero, Andre Heut has already intervened, preventing damage. However, he sustained severe injuries and is unable to participate in dealing with the second dungeon."
"Wait... the Abyss?"
The Abyss.
A land uninhabitable for humans, where the most dangerous monsters and creatures resided. In the Abyss, the dungeons are individually graded based on their threat level.
All dungeons in this region have a minimum grade of S-rank, and those closer to its core have even higher ranks, classified differently.
There are three such levels, and the most notable among them was the Immortal rank.
The Immortal rank referred to a dungeon in the center of the Abyss, deed impossible for humans to conquer.
"It's not an Immortal-ranked dungeon, is it?"
Hajoon asked without much thought, but Emma's shocked response revealed otherwise.
"Goodness! If it's an Immortal-ranked dungeon, nobody can stop it. If that dungeon breaks, it could an the end of Arica."
"So, which is it?"
"It's two levels below Immortal, the Worst rank. This dungeon is located on the boundary entering the Abyss."
The dungeons in the Abyss were divided into three ranks: Immortal, Boundary, and Worst. Of these, Worst was the only rank deed conquerable by humans.
Of course, while all the dungeons in the Wasteland have been designated as S-rank in terms of danger, many dungeons beyond the boundary are inaccessible to humanity.
Anyway, having heard her out, Hajoon felt he could guess what she wanted to request.
Hajoon said, "I'm still a 17-year-old student, you know?"
Would any adult from any country really send a 17-year-old student into the Wasteland?
Though half of his rebuttal was simply due to his annoyance.
Emma responded with a slightly bitter smile, "And you're also the most famous hero in Korea."
"..."
"It's not a demand, of course. It's also ntioned in our contract. However, the Arican Hero Association desperately needs your assistance."
At that, Hajoon montarily recalled a past mory.
The hero he t before his final exams.
Joa Elliot, the Prophecy Hero, ranked fifth worldwide.
He rembered the words she shared with him.
-The Arican Hero Association wishes to make a request of you, Irregular. Would you be willing to accept?
"Um, well..."
The request Joa Elliot ntioned.
He had expected a mission during the vacation, but he hadn't expected it to be today.
Moreover, he certainly hadn't expected it to be about conquering a dungeon in the Wasteland.
But having already agreed to help back then, it wasn't as though he could refuse now...
Ultimately deciding, Hajoon looked calmly at Emma and asked, "So when does this dungeon expedition start?"
Considering he possessed the Ti Stop (SSS) skill, there wasn't much to be particularly worried about.
It might as well be like taking a sightseeing tour.
Seeing Hajoon's response, Emma looked shocked, her mouth agape, "You're not serious?"
"Yes, let's give it a try."
Hearing his answer, Emma responded with a beaming smile, pure joy evident in her eyes, "Ah! It's in a week."
A week before the scheduled dungeon raid in the Abyss, Hajoon visited the Hers guild in Del Her right after parting ways with Emma at lunch.
"It's been a while~"
Lorelei greeted Hajoon, who she hadn't seen in so ti, with a beaming smile.
However, Hajoon, maintaining his characteristic calm deanor, settled on the sofa and looked at her. He then asked, "So, why did you call ?"
After parting with Emma, on his way back to the dormitory, Hajoon received a ssage which brought him here to the guild. Though he had co as requested, he was yet to hear the reason.
"You rember the request I made last ti?"
"The request? Did you find sothing?"
"Yes, but not exactly Liber. Instead, I've located the young girl from the photo you showed ."
"The young girl? You an the one who seed to be Liber's sister?"
Hajoon stared back at Lorelei, seeking clarity.
"You found out where she is?"
"Yes, but it's not certain. We stumbled upon her by chance, and she only resembles the girl in the photo."
Saying this, Lorelei handed over a photograph to Hajoon. The photo depicted a young girl.
With silver long hair, deep ruby-red eyes, and sharp, hawk-like features, the girl in the image was captivating. As Hajoon looked at the picture, a look of puzzlent crossed his face.
"Are you sure this is her?"
"As I said, we aren't entirely certain. But we can always inquire and find out."
Hajoon recalled the photograph he had previously given to Lorelei as a clue. The girl in that photo was much younger.
Even though children tend to look more innocent, the ambiance the girl gave off in both pictures was starkly contrasting.
In the previous photo, she had a pure, cheerful smile, but now she seed as sharp as a blade.
"Hmm..."
Hajoon pondered for a mont, scratching his head slightly. Regardless, if there was even a slight chance that she was Liber's sister, he had to find her.
"So, where does she reside?"
With a teasing smile, Lorelei replied, "England."
"?"
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